The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kaduna

  • Army arrests seven suspects with IEDs in Kaduna

    Army arrests seven suspects with IEDs in Kaduna

    Troops have arrested seven suspected Boko Haram bomb and Improvised Explosive making Devices (IEDs) specialists.

    The terrorists were arrested in Kaduna after painstaking surveillance and proactive intelligence operations over a period of time.

    A statement by army’s acting Director of Information Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, said: “From all indications, the suspects were in Kaduna to conduct suicide bombings, kill and maim innocent citizens in the state and other surrounding areas during the Christmas period.

    “Recall that recently in Maiduguri some of them were arrested while trying to detonate IEDs carried in food containers in public places.

    “The arrest of these suspects would no doubt assist in the fight against terrorism in the country, more so as the military have technically defeated the Boko Haram terrorists in the field, the terrorists have resorted to attacking soft targets through suicide bombings, IEDs and harassing attacks on isolated communities.

    “Therefore, the public is please requested to continue to be more vigilant and security conscious by reporting suspicious persons and their movements to security agencies. This request has become necessary because the terrorists have resorted to mingling with the public across the country after sensing the futility of their encounter with troops in the northeast.

    “They adopt other methods of perpetuating violence in the society.”

  • Man electrocuted in Kaduna

    An unidentified middle-aged man was electrocuted yesterday morning while allegedly attempting to vandalise cables at Accra Crescent, near LEA Primary School, Unguwar Rimi in Kaduna State.

    The Dan Iyar Unguwar Rimi, Alhaji Muhammad Gidado, who confirmed the incident, said the suspected vandal’s body had been evacuated by the police from Unguwar Rimi Division.

    He urged law enforcement agencies to increase patrol in the area.

    Investigation by our correspondent showed that the deceased tried to steal 150mm four core up-riser cables at the distribution sub-station on Accra Crescent.

    The Head, Corporate Communications, Kaduna Electric, the operator of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, Abdulazeez Abdullahi, enjoined customers to be vigilant and report suspicious activities near power installations, especially at night, to the police.

    He warned criminals to desist from vandalising electricity equipment.

  • Kaduna refinery supplies 3.2m litres of petrol

    Kaduna refinery supplies 3.2m litres of petrol

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday said the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) has started daily production of 3.2 million litres of petrol.

    Its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, in a statement, said hopefully, the long queues at fuel stations across the country would vanish soon.

    The statement  confirmed that the plant which commenced production over the weekend with an initial petrol yield of about 1.5 million litres has ramped up daily yield to 3.2 million litres.

    “The injection of this volume into the system will significantly impact ongoing special intervention efforts designed to bring relief to motorists across the country,” NNPC said.

    Meanwhile, less than 48 hours after the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, ordered NNPC workers to intervene in the monitoring of fuel distribution and retail at filling stations across the country, the initiative has started yielding positive results in Abuja and its environs.

  • Government unusual in Kaduna

    Mallam Nasir el Rufai’s towering pedigree as a seasoned administrator and technocrat all too easily marked him out as one who must succeed as he mounted the saddle as the Governor of Kaduna State in May.  Coincidentally, on assumption of office, the new governor had his job cut out for him. El Rufai inherited dubiously depleted state treasury, decayed infrastructure, ethnic and religious tension and hoards of hungry, angry and disillusioned citizenry. He was confronted with a people and a state desperately yearning for change and renewal. The consensus among the citizenry was (and remains) that failure by whatever guise could never be an option. Mercifully, six months down the road, the trust and confidence reposed in Mallam Nasir El Rufai by millions of voters in Kaduna State are beginning to bear juicy fruits even much earlier than expected.

    Poised to speedily rework Kaduna and restore the dignity and honour of its long-suffering people, Mallam El Rufai went to work barely minutes after taking the oath of office. With less than a month in office, he became the first governor elected in 2015 to submit the names of his nominees for positions of commissioners and special advisers to the state House of Assembly for confirmation. While at it, Mallam El Rufai also became the first governor in Nigeria to attach portfolios of his commissioner-nominees to the state House of Assembly.Expectedly this novel move aided the speedy ratification of the nominees.

    Considering that the governor inherited a near-empty treasury and given also the nation’s dwindling economic fortunes, the governor and his equally hard-working deputy, Bala Barnabas Bantex, have since taken 50 per cent cuts in their salaries and allowances while commissioners and the aides of the governor and his deputy have also taken massive cuts in their salaries and allowances. Indeed by June, just one month after taking office, the El Rufai administration had slashed overheads by a whooping 60 per cent. In the bid to plug leakages in the system, the administration among other things, prohibited the collection of cash revenues by Ministries, Departments and Agencies and promptly adopted the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

    Even more profound is El Rufai’s deliberate and tenacious efforts to bring government closer to the people with a view to having the citizenry participate fully in the formulation of crucial policies and taking decisions on how they should be governed. In Kaduna State today, a few elites no longer sit in cozy offices or hotel rooms to determine the fate of millions of other people. Governor El Rufai has introduced monthly town hall meetings across the state. At these town hall meetings, the governor and members of his team report back to the people on programmes and policies of the government and then take feedbacks from them. The feedbacks and other inputs from the citizenry at these town hall meetings have been shaping the policies and programmes of the administration.

    The governor however upped the ante on Saturday November 28 when he convened a town hall meeting on the 2016 budget at the General Hassan Katsina Government House. The event was another first – it was the first time a governor in Nigeria would be subjecting a state budget estimate to the scrutiny of the entire electorate before presenting it to the House of Assembly for approval and ratification.

    The 2016 budget for Kaduna State, which was aptly named “Budget of Sacrifice, Restoration and Change”, is anchored on the commitments outlined in the Restoration Programme, the manifesto platform on which the Kaduna State APC campaigned. The governor was clear and unambiguous about the thrust and philosophy underling the 2016 budget, which is”to make Kaduna State great again by reversing the neglect that the public interest has suffered, to restore hope in our people and foster the sort of harmony in our communities that is conducive to peace and security”.

    In the budget, Governor El Rufai underscored the determination of his administration to deepen the capacity of the people to make the best choices for themselves, if they are properly educated, given decent healthcare, and jobs in a secure environment. On this score he prioritized job creation, health, education and security

    With the budget, Governor ElRufai is also seeking to put to an end the gory era when government seemed to exist only for those who lead it or work for it. In the past, once the political elites and public servants had taken care of themselves, they usually leave too little resources for the people. For example, the previous administration in Kaduna spent a minimum of 80% of available resources on itself. Sometimes the proportion was higher. “How can the political elite justify spending public resources mainly on an influential minority? Is it fair or justifiable that the voters should be without stake in a system that draws its legitimacy from their mandate?”, Governor El Rufai queried at the town hall meeting.

    The governor noted that year after year, only the recurrent part of budgets in the state attained perfect performance. Capital investments repeatedly suffered, sometimes reaching only one percent in some sectors or 17% performance overall. Previous Kaduna State governments had reduced budgeting into a “fictographic art, with scarcely any relationship to reality.” On assumption of office, the new administration observed that previously huge annual budgets were approved without being implemented, leaving a legacy of abandoned projects. In the 2016 fiscal year, the Kaduna State Government intends to entrench the policy and culture of putting the people first. Governor El Rufai believes that democracy construes the people as the masters.

    The 2016 revenue and expenditure estimates, as eventually presented to the Kaduna State House of Assembly by Governor Nasir el Rufai add up to N171.7 billion, comprising N109.3bn (64%) capital and N62.4 (36%) recurrent components. These fiscal assumptions are based on a conservative benchmark crude oil price, at about US $39.50 per barrel.

    A major highlight of the 2016 budget for Kaduna State is that it moves away from funding government to providing infrastructure and services to citizens. It restores the 60:40 ratio in favour of capital expenditure. This is in keeping with the agenda of Governor El Rufai to expand access to Education, Healthcare, Jobs and Security. The administration’s pro-poor programmes, including interventions in school feeding, planting of economic trees, and waste collection, are expected to create 200,000 jobs. These investments in infrastructure and human capital are calculated to help the state grow at a rate that significantly surpasses the national average.

    Capital investments captured in the 2016 budget include:  renovation and construction of schools; school feeding; uniforms and tablets for secondary school students; school furniture; establishment and construction of 255 primary health care centres (one per ward), modernized, equipped with items like ultrasound scans and other tools that can assist safe deliveries; the Kaduna Geographic Information Services will develop and manage a centralized, electronic land registry to provide marketable titles for all land owners, including our farmers; a rapid rail system for Kaduna metropolis; township roads, street lighting, a new Facilities Management Agency to professionalise the maintenance of government assets; rural feeder roads; revamping of the Zaria Water works, waterworks rehabilitation projects in Kafanchan, Kaduna, Saminaka, Manchok, Kwoi and Zonkwa.

    To boost agriculture, the Kaduna State Government in the 2016 fiscal year intends to put in place a price support system to guarantee minimum prices for farmers at the beginning of the farming season for grains and other produce. The administration also intends to make available low-interest loans for the state’s farmers generally so as to increase rice production, commercial agriculture and support the introduction of a private sector driven statewide tractor hiring scheme.

    It is truly a dawn of a new and glorious era in Kaduna State as Mallam Nasir el Rufai begins the arduous task of fixing a state that was left desolate and traumatised by past inept and insensitive administrations. Mallam el Rufai and members of his team need the prayers and full cooperation of the entire people of Kaduna State. Typical of all agents of change, the governor will necessarily face stiff opposition from persons who are bent on retaining the status quo. These opponents of change would, predictably, seek at all times, to distract and even malign him. Our admonition is for the public to ignore them and judge Nasir el Rufai by his actions. We are confident that Kaduna State is at the verge of regaining its place as the pride of Nigeria.

     

     

    • Mallam Sani is the Special Adviser, Political Matters, to Governor Nasir El Rufai

     

  • Kaduna: DPR dispenses free fuel at erring filling station

    Kaduna: DPR dispenses free fuel at erring filling station

    The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), has sealed a filling station in Kaduna metropolis and dispensed fuel in its underground tank to motorists and motorcyclists free of charge for hoarding the product.

    The station, Samrada Nigeria Limited located at Romi Junction in the state capital, was caught hoarding a total of 19, 500 litres of fuel.

    The agency during its routine inspection of Petrol Stations across the state discovered that the petrol station was also selling above the N87 per litre pump price only at night.

    This is even as the scarcity situation is getting worse day by day. While many filling stations are under lock and key, black marketers have taken over the major streets, determining the price at which to sell the product to motorists.

    Presently, a litre of petrol in Kaduna metropolis and environs is sold as high as 200. And where fuel is available at petrol stations, the pumps are adjusted and the queues very long.

    DPR officials led by the zonal controller, Usman Ndanusa, swooped on this particular station following a tip-off from concerned citizens that the management of the station was hoarding the scarce product.

    They opened up the station’s stock and uncovered 19,300 litres of fuel while the station had allegedly told distraught buyers that it had exhausted the stock.

    However, it was a cheering news for motorists and other members of the public who scrambled to have their tanks filled as soon as the DPR boss instructed that the fuel be sold free of charge in line with minister of Petroluem’s directive.

    The manager of the filling station complained of not getting the product from the depot at government approved price, hence they have to adjust their retail prices. The DPR officials also ordered another filling station along Romi road to reverse to the N87 pump price as against the N135 it was selling to customers when the officials arrived.

    The owner of the filling station was fined the sum of N100, 000 for selling above pump price.

    The controller explained that the punitive measure would serve as deterrent to other hoarders that it was no longer business as usual. He said the agency was poised to ensure that the commodity was properly distributed among commuters.

    While expressing hope that the scarcity of petrol across the state would soon disappear due to the increase in daily supply from Lagos, the Controller  however warned marketers to stop hoarding the product or face severe sanction if they are caught.

  • Man kills own children in Kaduna

    Man kills own children in Kaduna

    A middle aged man, on Wednesday in Kaduna slaughtered four of his children and attempted to kill himself after an alleged quarrel with his wife.

    Neighbours said that the man had quarreled with his wife throughout the night, forcing her to leave the house located on Ahmadu Bello Street in Kawo area of Kaduna metropolis.

    Thereafter, the man allegedly locked the entrance to the house and used a knife to slaughter the four children aged between one to six years.

    One of his children who was not in the house at the time, alerted the ward head of the area, when he found the door to the residence locked from inside on Wednesday afternoon.

    When the neighbours and some policemen forced the door to the house open, the children were already dead while their father was still alive but in serious condition.

    Police spokesman in the state, Zubairu Abubakar, said that the man and the children had been conveyed to St Gerards General Hospital in Kakuri, Kaduna.

    He said that the police had commenced full investigation into the matter.

  • Learning behind bars in Kaduna

    Learning behind bars in Kaduna

    In Kaduna State, the wisdom of reforming prison inmates is prevailing over the instinct of punishing them, as secondary schools start inside jails. ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE reports

    It was long in coming. After all, what does anyone have to gain if, after serving their time, prison inmates stagger out into the society weak, tattered, unhappy and without skills or education? In Kaduna State the el-Rufai administration has ensured there is life for people behind bars at the completion of their terms. Secondary education has started right inside the guarded facilities.

    Barely two weeks into office, Governor Nasir el-Rufai visited the prisons with a promise to improve on training the inmates.

    He said then, “We are particularly interested in improving the state of training and vocational facilities within the prisons and expand that to outside the prison. We believe acquisition of skills is very important, not only to create job but also to reduce the rate of crime.”

    •Governor el-Rufai (second left) with the prison officials
    •Governor el-Rufai (second left) with the prison officials

    El-Rufai said his visit to the prison was informed by the briefing of the state Controller of Prison and Presidential directive to all governors to look into ways of decongesting the prisons by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    After touring the congested prisons, the governor said he will work with the prison authorities to improve the facilities there.

    Kaduna Convict Prison is one of the few which have study centres of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in which two of its inmates are currently running degree programmes in Political Science and Computer Science. The government is planning to install similar facilities in the Zaria prison, which now has a Junior Secondary School.

    While commissioning the recently renovated Zaria Prison and a prison Junior Secondary School built by his administration, Governor el-Rufai promised that all the prisons in the state will have secondary schools to be established by the state government in addition to the upgrading of the prison study centre of National Open University (NOUN).

    He said his government under the youths empowerment programme will also provide necessary skill acquisition centres in the prisons to empower inmates.

    Represented by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Amina Dyeris-Sijuwade, the governor also promised to continue assisting the prison command with operational vehicles.

    She said the governor had approved N24m for the renovation of the prison shortly after its destruction.

    The Controller General of Prisons, Dr. Peter Ezenwa Ekpendu expressed appreciation to the governor for undertaking the renovation work in the Zaria Prison and called on other state governments to emulate Kaduna by assisting the prisons with logistics and renovation of their facilities.

    Earlier in his welcome address, the Controller Kaduna Sate Prison Command, Abubakar Garba said the renovation work was not the only assistance the governor rendered to the command, as it had donated a generating set and hospital equipments worth millions of naira to Kaduna Convict Prison.

    Garba said shortly after exercising his prerogative of mercies to inmates, Governor el-Rufai in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice approved the setting up of schools inside the prisons, Junior and Secondary schools as well as skill acquisition centres.

    He said, “And equally, he also gave his mandate that the issue of skill acquisition centres in the various prisons formations across Kaduna State. We will start a pilot scheme very soon with Kaduna prisons. We hope that by next year the pilot scheme will reach other prisons formation across Kaduna state.”

    On the pardoned inmates, Garba said,“The governor exercised his powers under section 212, sub-section (1c) as amended with the Nigerian constitution to release the prisoners,” he said.

    Continuing, he said, “In Kaduna prison, we have 11 Kaduna State indigenes that were sentenced to death. The five that were released don’t have any appeal before the appeal court. The remaining 4 have appeal before the appeal court. The 2 that were not mentioned earlier, their sentence have been reduced to 20 years imprisonment.

    “And the remaining nine that were released were people that have stayed in the prisons more than and have only 6 months to serve in the prisons. And those because of old age were also released by the Executive Governor of Kaduna State,” CP Garba stated.

    Meanwhile, El-Rufai had ordered immediate return of inmates to the upgraded Zaria Prison facility. Zaria Prison was destroyed in May by inmates who set cells, workshops and administrative block ablaze, leaving out only mosque and the church buildings.

     

  • Senator cautions El-Rufai on utterances

    Senator cautions El-Rufai on utterances

    Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial district, Senator Shehu Sani has cautioned Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai over what he described as reckless statements.
    The All Progressive Congress (APC) Senator who has been opposed to El-Rufai on some issues in the state described as ‘irresponsible’ a statement recently credited to the Governor asking those aggrieved over appointments to climb the Kufena Mountain and fall.
    Senator Sani replied the governor on the Kufena Mountain saga while receiving the youth group‎ from Southern Kaduna who paid him a courtesy visit in his Kaduna Office.
    “The positive aspect of the Governor’s proclamation on the Kufena Mountain is that, he has put it on a national discourse and it has become a tourist attraction for people who want to see where the opposition are supposed to go climb, fall and die.
    “But in a serious sense, it is an irresponsible statement to have called on people who voted us into power to climb such a hill, fall and to die.
    “My advise to all the opposition forces in Kaduna State, is that we should turn Kufena hills into our meeting place to demand for good governance, accountability and government without arrogance,” Sani said.
    On the alleged marginalisation of the people of Southern Kaduna, he said, “the future of Southern Kaduna cannot be realised due to greed and sycophancy of their elites.”
    “The younger generation of Southern Kaduna must continue to mount pressure on the state government and continue to irritate the ears of the federal government at the national level on development of the region.
    “What happened in the past is likely to happen under this government. So the people of Southern Kaduna people must continue to challenge the Government of the state to demand equal opportunity and equal representation and you must not allow yourself to continue to play the second fiddle nor should you rest on bronze medal. You must be respected and the only way to get your respect is to continue to challenge the establishment and political order in the state.‎”
    He emphasised that in the past, the elites from the southern Kaduna mortgaged their rights and entitlements of their people in bargain for their personal and political gains, hence the reason the area is the most underdeveloped part of north western part of Nigeria.

  • Kaduna NMA moves to check quacks

    Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Kaduna State has moved to check-mate quackery and other malpractices in the medical profession.

    The Chairman Kaduna State Chapter of the Association, Dr. Muhammed Ibrahim gave this indication while briefing newsmen on rundown of activities marking the association’s 2015 Physician Week, Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference in Kaduna Friday.

    Dr. Ibrahim said the activities of quack Doctors have become alarming and worrisome and need urgent attention to tackle them.

    He said the association on weekly basis receives complaints concerning cases of malpractice and quackery, hence the urgent need for the public, the practitioners and the regulators to demonstrate commitment to tackle the challenges.

    According to him, “At least once in every week, NMA Kaduna State receives a complaints ranging from issues on medical malpractice, especially relating to violation of the ethics and values of clinical practice, or to quackery (unauthorised personnel performing the duties of Doctors).

    “As the old saying goes; a robber demands your money or your life; but, a quack demands your money and your life! It is therefore, no gain saying that top among problems begging for immediate attention in the health sector in Kaduna State is medical malpractice.

    “The NMA recognises that there is an urgent need for the public, the practitioners and the regulators to demonstrate commitment to face these challenges.

    “This underscores the careful choice of the theme of this year’s annual general meeting and scientific conference; addressing the many faces of medical malpractice in Nigeria. And a significant feature of this year’s conference is it focus on brainstorming on ways to address the problem of medical malpractice in Kaduna State.

    “Suspected cases of medical malpractice and quackery must be reported promptly to the Nigerian Medical Association, the Kaduna State ministry of Health, the medical and dental council of Nigeria and even the police,” he stated.

    Meanwhile, the association is using the week to honour physicians who distinguished themselves and also create awareness on the need for measles and polio vaccination, personal hygiene and general preventive measures to curtail the transmission of infectious diseases.

  • UK minister’s visit enlivens Kaduna rehab centre

    UK minister’s visit enlivens Kaduna rehab centre

    Everyone in the community and at the centre was excited. The District Head received the visitors himself. The management and inmates were keen not just to hear what they had to say but also share a few bits of information with their guests.

    It was a day to remember at the Kaduna State Rehabilitation Centre, Makera, Kakuri, where people living with disability are trained in skills to help them lead meaningful lives.

    The United Kingdom’s Minister For Africa and the Department For International Development (DFID), Hon. Grant Shapps and top British High Commission officials visited the rehabilitation centre to assess its progress and ensure that the programmes outlined for the inmates meet their needs and standard set to make life more meaningful for the less privileged.

    Shapps was received at the facility by the District Head of Kakuri, Alhaji Shehu Tijjani, officials of the Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP) and the management of the centre.

    Mr Shapps who interacted freely with the inmates, taking photographs with them, told journalists that the UK government would be paying special attention to the physically challenged people because of the impact of violent conflicts on them and the fact that they would come in handy in peace building.

    Mr Shapps who later inaugurated a 100m pounds public sector accountability and governance programme at the state Government House, said he was impressed by the ability of the inmates to learn quickly and pass the knowledge to those in rural areas.

    The Nation gathered that the centre which was established in 1980 has a population of 150 students who are trained according to each of “the broad categories of the special needs from the visually impaired, physically challenged, to ones with acute mental challenges.”

    For about one and half to two years, students in the centre have learnt various skills that are designed to take them off the streets, reduce the incidence of stigmatisation against them and make them to be more useful to themselves and the society. Besides the skills they have acquired, they have also become change agents in their communities as others who are not as privileged as they are run to them to learn about the school in the centre.

    Queen Davids, one of the visually impaired students at the centre, said she has learnt about the rights of women through various advocacy programmes initiated by the school.

    Davids said she also learnt cake baking, weaving and knitting, keeping the home and environment clean and her communication ability has improved since she came to the school. She said parents of physically challenged people in the rural areas are always sceptical releasing their children for training, but that on several occasions, she has become a reference point as they now listen to her whenever she visited the rural areas and talked about her experiences in the school.

    Zainab Ahmed from Makarfi who has spent one and half years in the school called on government to improve the facilities. She recalled that she was always moody and unhappy about her condition (physically challenged) before she was brought to the Centre, but haven met with people and interacted with them, she now sees life from different perspective.

    The Nation learnt that based on the commitment of the teachers and the students, there has been a reduction in the number of gender-based violence in the centre, teenage pregnancy and pregnancy rates within students have dropped drastically, while the students have learned about self esteem, entrepreneurship, human rights, safety and security.

    The NSRP supported by DFID has Inclusive Peace Club in the Centre to deal with gender issues, advocacy programmes and capacity building for the vulnerable and marginalised sections of the communities. Other non-governmental organisations such as Alpha Care, coordinated by Hon. Hassan Abubakar, it was learnt also play significant roles in peace building initiatives in Kaduna state.

    Hon Abubakar told The Nation that the collaboration between NSRP and DFID has benefitted so many non-governmental organisations in the state especially on peace building initiatives and support for the physically challenged.

    Alpha Care, he said, has been able to use drama presentation (Magawatta) on radio and television to promote conflict resolution, democracy and good governance besides creating health awareness and respect for the rights of women and children. He commended the NSRP and DFID for supporting its advocacy programme, saying youth restiveness would reduce if there is adequate investment in capacity building, and free education.

    He urged Governor Nasri el-Rufai to build on the achievements of past administrations in the state, especially in sustaining peaceful coexistence among the various ethnic groups by bringing stakeholders together. Hon Abubakar said noted that the government should not wait until crisis situation before building on the relative peace in the state.

    He said the governor should support initiatives that would make the local government councils’ authorities work together with traditional rulers, religious leaders, youths, women groups and other non-governmental organisations in other to confront the problems of insecurity, unemployment, drug abuse, armed robbery, etc.