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Tag: Kano

  • Kano, Dangote, Rhino Group seal $150m solar power deal

    Kano State government, Dangote Group of Companies and Black Rhino Group, at the weekend in Kano, signed a $150 million Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on solar power project.

    On completion, within 24 months of the target period, the  power project is expected to generate 100 megawatts (Mw) of clean electricity, not only to industries but to the people of the state.

    The MoU was signed by Secretary to the Kano State Government (SSG), Alhaji Usman Alhaji on behalf of the state government, while the Executive Director, Dangote Group, Alhaji Manusr Ahmed, signed on behalf of the Dangote Group.

    In his address at the signing ceremony, the SSG, said the  power project is what is in vogue for now all over the world, stressing that need to provide energy for the progress and growth of the economy of the state.

    ‘’We need energy to make any progress and development anywhere in the world; so we believe this is a right step in the right direction and I wish to also reiterate that the Kano State government is very keen on this project and we are doing everything possible, under the leadership of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje to improve the life and living conditions of the people of Kano State,” he said.

    In his remarks, Ahmed said the purpose of the power project is meant to improve the economy of Kano as  centre of commerce in the sub-Saharan region.

    The project, which would be jointly financed by the Dangote Industries Limited and Black Rhino Group will provide a state of the art renewable energy plant that will convert the abundant energy of the sun into high quality clean electricity.

     

  • Businessman remanded over N100m recharge card fraud

    Businessman remanded over N100m recharge card fraud

    A 30-year-old businessman, Adamu Yusuf, was on Friday in Kano remanded in prison over alleged N100 million fraud on the orders of a Kano Magistrates’ Court.

    Yusuf, who resides in Sabo area of Sagamu in Ogun, is facing a two-count charge of criminal breach of trust and cheating.

    The Senior Magistrate, Mr Aminu Fagge, who gave the ruling, said the accused should remain behind bars until Sept.12 when the case would come up for mention.

    Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp. Yusuf Sale, told the court that on March 16, a complaint was received at the Assistant Inspector-General of Police’s office in Kano.

    According to him, on Feb. 28, three men —  Alhaji Sani Ali of Gadon Kaya Quarters, Kano, Sani Hamza and Salisu Haruna — gave the accused sum of N100 million to buy MTN recharge cards for them to sell.

    The accused converted the whole money to personal use, he said, adding that all efforts made by the complainants to take delivery of  the recharge cards or get their money back proved abortive.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    The offences contravened the provisions of Section 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.

  • PDP kicks as Kano Assembly flouts court order

    PDP kicks as Kano Assembly flouts court order

    The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the leadership of the Kano State House of Assembly of impunity and recklessness for flouting a Supreme Court judgment.

    The court, in a July 12 judgment, sacked an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker, Hayatu Sallau (Kura/Garun Mallam constituency), from the House of Assembly.

    The judgment was an affirmation of a November 27, 2015, judgment of the Court of Appeal, which sacked Sallau.

    Consequently, the Supreme Court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw Sallau’s Certificate of Return and issue same to Abdullahi Mohammed of the PDP.

    It also ordered Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly to swear in Mohammed.

    But the Speaker has ignored the verdict by refusing to swear in the PDP legislator-elect.

    A statement yesterday by PDP’s spokesman Dayo Adeyeye said INEC had complied with the judgment by issuing a Certificate of Return to Abdullahi Mohammed.

    The statement reads: “From the judgment of the Supreme Court, it is clear that the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly is under obligation to swear in Abdullahi Muhammed of the PDP without delay.

    “However, 26 days after the judgment, and more than two weeks after INEC issued his Certificate of Return, the Speaker is yet to comply with the court judgment.

    “In a lawless and barbaric display of impunity, the Speaker has refused to swear in our candidate. We call on the governor of Kano State, federal attorney general, and well meaning Nigerians, to prevail on the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly to obey the rule of law and perform his constitutional duty by swearing in Abdullahi Mohammed without further delay.”

    The party vowed to explore all available legal options to bring the Speaker to book for violating the constitution.

  • APC chieftain in decamps to PDP in Kano

    Alhaji El-Amin Ibrahim, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano state, has decamped to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Ibrahim told newsmen in Kano on Saturday that his decision to cross carpet was borne out of his desire and commitment to serve people and ensure that promises made to the electorate were fulfilled.

    “All my cross carpeting has been from the ruling parties to oppositions and on three occasions I held a party to win election.

    “I am not in politics to use political office to make financial gains.

    “I am in politics to serve the people,” he said.

    The decamped, who, is popularly known as Ibrahim-little, said his decision to move to the People’s Democratic Party was borne out his conviction that APC had not been able to fulfilled the promises it made to electorate.

    NAN reports that Ibrahim-little was the former state chairman of the defunct All people’s Party (APP) as well as a gubernatorial aspirant under the platform of the party in 2003. (NAN)

  • Kano FRSC to reintroduce psychological test for traffic offenders

    Kano FRSC to reintroduce psychological test for traffic offenders

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kano Sector Command, has expressed determination to reintroduce a psychological test for traffic offenders in the state.

    This is contained in a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Command, Alhaji Kabiru Daura and made available to newsmen in Kano on Wednesday.

    The statement said the planed psychological test would be carried out at designated medical facilities with a view to finding out the road users mental ability.

    It said the exercise would commence in earnest and was designed to focus on the pattern of human behavior, identified as life threatening.

    It stated that, by implication, any motorist who committed one or multiple offences would be susceptible to such test.

    The statement noted that, over the years, the FRSC had embarked on several measures of road traffic dysfunctional deterrence, ranging from public education to subtle force, full enforcement as well as introduction of speed limiting device.

    It said the effort was primarily geared towards ensuring safer monitoring environment, affirming that efforts of the corps had yielded positive results.

    It stated that the multiple road challenges led to the institution of the test and urged motorists to be law abiding.

    “The call is necessary to avoid being subjected to the examination process and subsequent withdrawal of driver’s licence when the outcome of the test indicates a negative mental status,” the statement said.

  • St. Louis schools old girls advise govt on proper education

    The need to bring life back into the St Louis  School,  Kano, was one of the major discourses at the annual Open Day of the Nigerian Province of Sister.

    The event, which held at the LousVille Girls High School, Ijebu Itele, Ogun State, saw the Province deliberate on the decrepit state of the school which was the first of  16 St Louis schools scattered nationwide, having been established in 1921.

    St Louis, Zonkwa and its sister school in Jos, which were the second and third in the series established in 1955 and 1957 respectively, also came also under the radar, owing to their pitiable state.

    The Open Day is a forum where all St Louis members schools nationwide converge to rub minds with the province, which comprises reverend sisters who are saddled with the responsibilities of overseeing St. Louis schools all over the country. The forum also seeks to identify issues ranging from achievements to challenges being experienced by members schools vis-à-vis raising funds to tackle those gaps.

    National President, Friends of St. Louis, Mrs. Anita Okroribido (St Louis Ibadan 72 Set), who was represented by Prof Elizabeth Ogunyemi, thanked those in attendance and particularly the sisters for growing in strength and rising to the needs of the school despite economic hardship.

    Ogunyemi, who is an alumnus of St Louis Akure (58th Set), appreciated colleagues for turning out in large number and keeping up with the spirit to put life back into their alma mater.

    In his sermon, the Chaplain admonished parents to bring up their female wards in line with God’s guidance.

    “Women are today taking up leadership positions all over the world, and therefore we do not have to discriminate against them. I urge you parents here to encourage your female wards, give them self confidence so that they can hold their heads high anywhere,” he said.

    In her speech, the head of the Sisters of St. Louis in Nigeria, Rev. Isabel Mann, likened education

    to the ‘key in every child’s life’, adding that  same has the power to raise individuals to a level unprecedented, regardless of one’s social or economic challenges.

  • Five Boko Haram suspects arrested in Kano

    Five Boko Haram suspects arrested in Kano

    Kano state Police Command has arrested five suspected Boko Haram terrorists at Gayawa quarters at Ungogo local government area of Kano state.
    The Police Commissioner Rabiu Yusuf who spoke to journalists at the Police command on Sunday said that the dreaded terrorists were arrested at their hideout with the intent of executing a deadly attack on the state.
    Yusuf said that the arrest of the insurgence followed an active intelligent report in which the Police carried out operation at about 2am Sunday morning.
    Yusuf said that one of the suspects who escaped with gunshot during the operation was a dismissed Airforce officer who is now at large.
    The suspects paraded are Abba Muhammad of Niger republic, (20), Usman A. Buhari (23) who hail from Borno state, Illiasu Abdullahi (46) of Gezawa local government area of Kano state. The two females are Aisah Yau (25) and Ladidi Yunusa (27) both of Kwarna hudu quarters in Nassarawa local government area of Kano state.
    According to him, three of the suspects are males while two of them are females who are heavily pregnant.

  • Father sexually assaults daughter for seven years in Kano

    Father sexually assaults daughter for seven years in Kano

    A Kano Magistrates’ Court on Friday ordered the remand of one Ibrahim Mohammed, 56, in prison custody, accused of having sexual intercourse with his daughter for seven years.

    Ibrahim, who lives at Hausawa Quarters Kano, is standing trial on a two-count charge of procuring minor and incest.

    The prosecutor, Insp. Aluta Mijinyawa, told the court that the accused began to sexually assault the girl in 2010 when she was just seven years old.

    He said Ibrahim had been having sex with the minor since the death of her mother in 2010, adding, “the victim was seven year’s then, now a 14-year-old girl.”

    Mijinyawa further told the court that the girl, having now grown up “to know what is good and bad,” resisted the father, who threatened to harm her.

    The prosecutor told the court that the girl reported the father at Metro Police Station in Kano.

    The prosecutor said that the offences contravened sections 275 and 390 of the penal code.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    Chief Magistrate Fatima Adamu ordered the remand of the accused person in prison custody and adjourned the case to Sept. 12, for further mention.

    Meanwhile, a women group in Kano, Hotoro Women Development Association, said it would sponsor the education of the girl.

    The association’s Project Manager, Dr Zainab Nagee, said they have asked the court to allow the girl be assigned to her grandmother, “to enable her resume normal life and go back to school, which we promise to sponsor.’’

  • New Paris Club refund: What each state recieved

    New Paris Club refund: What each state recieved

    The federal government has released a State by State breakdown of another tranche of Paris Club refund of over-deductions on Paris Club, London Club Loans and Multilateral debts on the accounts of States and Local Governments from 1995-2002.

    A statement from the federal ministry of finance said these payments which totalled N243, 795,465,195.20 “were made to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory upon the approval of the President on May 4, 2017.”

    Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Kano and Rivers states received the largest disbursements of N10 billion each.

    This second tranche of Paris Club refunds is a “partial settlement of long-standing claims by State Governments relating to over-deductions from their Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocation for external debt service arising between 1995 and 2002.”

    The statement added that Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun explained that these debt service deductions were in respect of the Paris Club, London Club and Multilateral debts of the federal and State governments.

    Adeosun noted that “while Nigeria reached a final agreement for debt relief with the Paris Club in October 2005, some States had already been overcharged.”

    The funds were released to State Governments as part of the wider efforts to stimulate the economy and were specifically designed to support states in meeting salary and other obligations, thereby alleviating the challenges faced by workers.

    The releases the ministry said “were conditional upon a minimum of 75 per cent being applied to the payment of workers’ salaries and pensions for States that owe salaries and pension.”

    The Federal Ministry of Finance said it “is reviewing the impact of these releases on the level of arrears owed by State Governments.”

    A detailed report is being compiled for presentation to the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, as part of the process for approval for the release of any subsequent tranches.
    The disbursements are contained in the table below:

     

    S/N STATE AMOUNT PAYABLE (NGN)
    1 ABIA 5,715,765,871.48
    2 ADAMAWA 6,114,300,352.68
    3 AKWA-IBOM 10,000,000,000.00
    4 ANAMBRA 6,121,656,702.34
    5 BAUCHI 6,877,776,561.25
    6 BAYELSA 10,000,000,000.00
    7 BENUE 6,854,671,749.25
    8 BORNO 7,340,934,865.32
    9 CROSS RIVER 6,075,343,946.93
    10 DELTA 10,000,000,000.00
    11 EBONYI 4,508,083,379.98
    12 EDO 6,091,126,592.49
    13 EKITI 4,772,836,647.08
    14 ENUGU 5,361,789,409.66
    15 GOMBE 4,472,877,698.19
    16 IMO 7,000,805,182.97
    17 JIGAWA 7,107,666,706.76
    18 KADUNA 7,721,729,227.55
    19 KANO 10,000,000,000.00
    20 KATSINA 8,202,130,909.85
    21 KEBBI 5,977,499,491.45
    22 KOGI 6,027,727,595.80
    23 KWARA 5,120,644,326.57
    24 LAGOS 8,371,938,133.11
    25 NASARAWA 4,551,049,171.12
    26 NIGER 7,210,793,154.95
    27 OGUN 5,739,374,694.46
    28 ONDO 7,003,648,314.28
    29 OSUN 6,314,106,340.62
    30 OYO 7,901,609,864.25
    31 PLATEAU 5,644,079,055.41
    32 RIVERS 10,000,000,000.00
    33 SOKOTO 6,441,128,546.76
    34 TARABA 5,612,014,491.52
    35 YOBE 5,413,103,116.59
    36 ZAMFARA 5,442,385,594.49
    37 FCT 684,867,500.04
    TOTAL 243,795,465,195.20

     

  • Kano DISCO refunds meter, transformer buyers

    The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kano Distribution Company (KEDCO), Dr. Jamil Isyaku Gwamna has urged customers who replaced meters, transformers, poles and other electricity facilities to visit the company’s Kano headquarters for immediate refund.

    Gwamna who spoke during KEDCO’s parley with stakeholders and the House of Representatives Committee on Power, said KEDCO recently imported 70,000 transformers for free distribution.

    He said the idea behind the forum was to partner with the customers for improved service delivery, adding, “This is a special forum because it was convened at the instance of the House Committee on Power.”

    Speaking further, he said, “We have enough meters and transformers for distribution, there is no queue, and so, we appeal to customers to come forward for collection.”

    Gwamna who urged customers to desist from bribing KEDCO officials whenever they are performing their official duties, pointed out that the power outage was not deliberate.

    “In most cases,” he said, “power outage is beyond our control; it usually comes from TCN. They are not deliberate.”

    In his remarks, the chairman, House Committee on Power, Mr. Daniel Asuquo hailed KEDCO for putting in place one of the best facilities across the country, but observed that the company needed to expand to meet customers’ demand.

    “KEDCO is about the sixth distribution company that we have visited within this year. On our arrival, KEDCO management took us to some of their investments, which is to meet up their capital requirement they invested within the service year. We have seen most of their investments. We have seen the metering exercise they are doing; we have also seen the transformers; and we think that they have brought some innovations that are good for the people and the business.

    “We believe that if they expand on what they are doing, it will create better service for the people; and the issues we are already handling now is that of estimated billing and of course, exploitation of Nigerians would have been addressed once and for all,” he stated.

    He added that, “we are about 15 members of the House of Representatives that came for this assignment. We are here in Kano the headquarters of Kano Distribution Company (KEDCO), to carry out our oversight function in the power sector.

    “We are also here to arbitrate on the resolution of the House on the issues of metering gap, estimated billing, and infrastructural decay within the networks of DISCO companies that amounts to bad service and exploitation of Nigerians, which Nigerians are complaining about.”