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Tag: Katsina State

  • Independence: Masari wants four more years for Buhari

    Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State has called on Nigerians to keep faith with the APC administration by electing President Muhammad Buhari for another four years assuring that with him in charge, things will only get better for the country.

    Masari who made the appeal in an independence day message signed by  his Special Assistant on Media, Abdu Labaran Malumfashi, said Nigerians would do well to give President Buhari another four-year mandate to consolidate on the foundation he has laid to place Nigeria on the path of total recovery.

    He said ’’Since the President’s sterling performance had shamed and proven the doubters wrong, Nigerians should close ranks and re-elect him in 2019 for him to consolidate on his achievements, evidenced in so many meaningful interventions across the length and breadth of the country’’.

    Read Also: Buhari back from U.S.

    The Governor further recalled that at 58, Nigeria had come along way to allow unpatriotic elements who have zero electoral value to polarize the nation along ethnic, religious and regional divides in order to achieve interests that are opposed to the nation’s growth and development

    He said those opposed to President Buhari were only doing so because he has exposed and stopped their rent collecting activities, which had hitherto been the bane of the nation’s development.

    The Governor then urged Nigerians to always put Nigeria and its leaders in their prayers so that the nation may continue to prosper in leaps and bounds.

     

  • Katsina PDP crisis deepens as Umar Tata joins APC

    The crisis rocking the Katsina state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party on Saturday took a deeper dimension when the leading guber aspirant in the party, Alhaji Umar Tata announced his defection to the ruling All progressive Congress, APC,

    Tata, who made the announcement while interacting with members of the social media at old government house, Katsina, said the PDP has been taken over by impunity, greed, and corruption thereby making it difficult for true democrats like him to thrive and realise their ambitions

    He said ‘’We are reaching out to our teeming supporters to intimate them of this development, and at the same time we have reached out to his Excellency Governor Aminu Bello Masari and President Muhammadu Buhari to work out a possible date for our formal reception into the new party’’

    ‘’We are teaming up with the ruling party to provide purposeful leadership and to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people’’

    ‘’it is rather unfortunate that the leadership of the PDP at the state and Zonal level have been gripped with greed and corrupt practices hence they sold out to a consensus arrangement. We wish them good luck’’

    Also speaking, the campaign director and personal assistant to Alhaji Umar Tata, Danja, said the social media groups of Alhaji Tata are currently working out an arrangement to team up with the Masari campaign organisation

    The Nation recalled that 5 out of the 6 aspirants who purchased their nomination forms to contest the katsina governorship seat in next year’s general election under the PDP announced their defection from the party, alleging impunity and the imposition of the 6th candidate, Alhaji Yakubu lado as the party’s consensus flag bearer for the election.

    Read Also: Katsina govt. to equip local vigilante groups

    A spokesman for the aspirants, Abdulrahaman Danja, told The Nation,exclusively over the telephone,that the candidates:Alhaji Umar Tata,Garba Faskari, Musa Natsuni, Aminu  Yar’Adua, and Sada Ilu kofar, have decided to leave the party and are currently negotiating with other parties to decide on which one they could pitch tent with.

    Danja further disclosed that the candidates were angered by the party leadership at the state zonal and local level to pick a consensus candidates ahead of the party‘s primaries slated to hold on Sunday September 30.

    He said  “We were preparing for the primaries coming up this Sunday only to read in the news that Yakubu Lado has been adopted instead as consensus candidate’’

    ‘’This high display of impunity by the PDP and we certainly are living and currently negotiating with another party to join, in the next few days we shall tell you our new party.”

  • Katsina govt. to equip local vigilante groups

    The Katsina state government has assured vigilante groups in the state, under the aegis of Katsina State Security Group, of adequate support and empowerment through the provision of needed gadgets and transports, to enable them contribute effectively to the maintenance of stable security in the state especially in the rural areas

    Governor Aminu Bello Masari, who was represented by the Secretary to the state Government, Dr Mustapha Inuwa, gave the assurance at the state secretariat, while receiving the executive members of the state vigilante groups, who visited the state government to show solidarity and solicit official recognition of their activities.

    The Chairman of the group, Abdullahi Lolo told the SSG that the association is self funded and voluntary and would therefore require government support especially in the area a of transports and communication gadgets

    He said “Often we are confronted with a situation in the middle of the night where a pregnant woman in labour and needing urgent transportation could not be assisted because we don’t have transports’’.

    ‘’Even when we arrest criminals, especially the hardened ones, we are unable to convey them to the nearest police stations as we cannot detain them either. Again we cannot communicate with our colleagues scattered all over the place, especially during critical moment due to lack of equipments’’

    ‘’We know you and the governor are the same hence we offer prayers for Buhari and Masari also’’

    Abdullahi further maintained that the group needed such equipment like bows and arrows, raincoats and torch lights, stationeries, and an office building. He said they could not build their office on an empty land donated by the local chiefs due to lack of funds.

    Read Also: Katsina Police nab cultists who beheaded sergeant

    Responding, Dr Inuwa commended the association for their contributions towards ensuring the security of lives and properties in the state. He urged them to also help government in tackling the menace of drug abuse n the state.

    He promised that their requests will be looked into by the state government with a view to addressing them

    He said “Governments everywhere is primarily concerned with protection of lives and property. We alone cannot perform all security functions without your support’’

    “What you people are doing is not a small work but we know God will reward you. We will look into your request and see how government can assist you’’

  • Controller assures of imminent rehabilitation of federal roads

    Federal Controller of works in Katsina State, Engineer Tunde Balogun has assured motorists plying federal roads in the state that rehabilitation of all federal roads in the state would soon commence as the requisite proposals have been submitted on them for capture in the ministry’s budget

    Engineer Balogun who gave the assurance on Saturday in Katsina, during an exclusively chat with The Nation in his office, said already the dualization of Kano-Katsina federal highway is in progress and that the katsina border end of the road which was awarded to Chinese firm, CCECC, is also ongoing

    He said’’ the state governments are taking charge of internal roads within the state capital or local government headquarters, like the kano road in Malumfashi and the bye-pass, it is the Katsina state government that has been maintaining that intersecting roads within the town’’

    ‘’If it is road maintenance, FERMA, is in charge while rehabilitation of major highways is our responsibility especially when it is 8km outskirts of the road’’

    Read Also: Saraki: Nigeria is at crossroads

    ‘’There is much improvement on road funding under the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari unlike what obtains in the past, with the limited resource available, there is a lot of activities on the  federal roads now, as you can see’’

    On his assessment of the condition of federal roads in the state, the controller said it is fair, when compared to what obtains in some other states

    He identified other federal roads being captured in the proposals to include; Katsina-Dutsinma-Kankara road, Katsina-Jibia road and Daura-Kano road

    Meanwhile the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, have assured motorists plying Funtua –Bakori-Katsina roads that the patching of the potholes on the road has not been abandoned as being insinuated in some quarters but that work will resume on the road as soon as the rainy season is over

    The resident engineer in charge of FERMA in Katsina state, Engineer Ali Abdul, told The Nation, exclusively, that the road was being handled under direct labor and supervised by one of their staff, Engineer Solomon

     

     

  • Beheaded sergeant: Suspected cultists nabbed in Katsina

    OPERATIVES from Katsina State Command yesterday arrested three cult gangs, which beheaded a police sergeant, Umana Ishaya, attached to 56 Police Mobile Force.

    Ishaya was on special duty at Operation Safe Haven, Jos

    Commissioner of Police Mohammed Wakili said those arrested included: Abubakar Sani, 35,  alias “Kwaya”, from Mani Local Government Area, Abubakar Mohammed Soni, 28, alias ‘Ali Dan Bauchi’, ‘from Rafinfa quarters Laranto, Jos, and Husain Musa, 80, a herbalist, from Kanda Shagari off Lorento Quarters in Jos.

    He said ‘’while Abubakar Sani was arrested in Mashi Local Government, the other two were arrested in Jos”

    “The items found on the suspects include: two human eye balls in a plastic container, an ax used in beheading the late police sergeant, a sharp dagger used in plucking off the eyes and some clothes”

    He added that those arrested have confessed.

    The police also arrested armed robbery gangs during an operation, code named ”Operation Sharon Daji,”  while on patrol at Jino forest.

    Those arrested were Bola Lawal, 30, of Matazu Local Government, and Lawal Kabir, 20, of same address

    Others arrested after a gun battle, according to the police, on Danja and Tendema in Dayi councils, were motor cycle thieves specialising in drugging their victims before snatching their motorcycles.

    He said ”the syndicates are notorious motor vehicle thieves, who specialise in drugging victims through food and drinks before robbing them.

    ‘’Nemesis caught up with the duo of Bello Abdulkadir 30, and Yakubu Musa, 28, of Hotoro Quarters, Kano”

    “The Katsina State Command will continue to maintain a zero tolerance to crime in the state.’’

  • Masari tasks NHIS on advocacy campaign in Katsina

    The Katsina state governor, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari, on Saturday tasked the management of National Health Insurance Scheme-NHIS to carry out aggressive advocacy campaign to create the needed awareness level of its activities and for the people to understand its programme properly.

    Alhaji Masari who was speaking when he received the Executive secretary of the scheme, Professor Usman Yusuf during a courtesy call at government house, said the scheme, laudable as it is, could be misunderstood by the people as insurance affects the sensibilities of Muslims in general.

    The governor was however happy with the performance of a staff of NHIS who volunteered to educate people from some communities in Danja local government area, on the advantages of the scheme, which he said encouraged acceptance and participation.

    He said’’ the state government in collaboration with the state house of assembly, state chapter of Nigeria labor Congress NLC, Medical and Health Workers Union and others, to closely come up with a bill for an Agency to replicate NHIS in the state’’.

    ‘’ The new agency will no doubt reduce problems of seeking for donations for patients to buy drugs prescribed for them by Doctors in clinics and hospitals’’.

    Earlier in a remark, the Executive secretary of NHIS, Professor Usman Yusuf said the National Health Bill has been assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari. He added that the bill had provided for one percent of realizable federal revenue to be expended on the health sector.

    Read Also:  Masari calls for more NHIS enlightenment

    Of the amount, he said five percent is secondary, forty five percent for primary healthcare while fifty percent is for the NHIS, stressing that although the scheme had been characterized by failures in the past, everything is being done to turn round the fortunes of NHIS.

    Professor Yusuf said he was part of the restoration agenda setting of the Masari led government even before the 2015 general elections and expressed happiness that the governor had started implementing the agenda in the renovated and upgraded hospitals across the state.

    He assured that before leaving Katsina, he will meet with relevant stakeholders to ensure the passage of the bill that would help the state to benefit from NHIS programmes.

    He announced the opening of a new zonal NHIS office in Kano to take care of Kano, Jigawa and Katsina States.

  • Katsina secures N1bn NEXIM Bank’s loan for Agric Exports

    The Katsina state government has secured a N1 billion loan facility from Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), for the development of an ‘’export-worthy agricultural product’’.

    The facility, which has a single-digit interest rate is also available for all states of the federation interested in harnessing a chosen agricultural product for export.

    The Managing Director of the bank, Mr. Abubakar Bello made the above disclosure in Katsina when he visited the state Governor, Aminu Bello Masari at the Government House

    Bello said the effort, referred to as One State One Product project, is aimed at diversifying the nation’s economy and reduces dependence on oil.

    He said the facility would be disbursed to farmers of a chosen product to cut across the value chain, so that everyone of them would stand to benefit.

    He however said the bank was aware the facility was inadequate, but that the portfolio could be increased with time to give room for expansion.

    The NEXIM boss also said that Katsina and other states interested in the facility could expand the agricultural product to two, so long as same was customized to the state.

    Read Also: Masari tasks NHIS on Advocacy campaign in Katsina

    He however called on the state government to consider harnessing and exporting seseme seed as it is thriving product in the state, and has high demand in Asian countries.

    He said “We are going to every state to put money behind every agricultural product chosen by the state for export.

    “What we have done to kick start this is to put N1 billion to each of the state, and we’ll work with them to identify the product that the state would like to pursue as their own product for export.

    “So we have a N1 billion facility available for Katsina state. The N1 billion is for a start, and the product is expected to be customized to the state’’.

    “The N1 billion is to pilot the product for each state; as time goes on, we’ll grow the portfolio,”

    Responding, Masari said the facility may not be adequate considering the large number of people within the value chain of an agricultural product.

    He called on NEXIM bank to also look at ways it could invest in processing of export-worthy products from the states and not just producing them alone.

    He however said that the state would consider sesame seed and hibiscus as possible products for export from the state.

     

  • 2019: 2.5 million votes ready for Buhari in Katsina, Says Masari

    Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, on Thursday said that a minimum of 2.5 million votes are already waiting for President Muhammadu Buhari in the state for the 2019 presidential election.

    He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting President Buhari at the Presidential Villa Abuja.

    According to him, his state is 100 percent behind Buhari, who hails from the state.

    He said “The people of Katsina are 100% behind president Buhari and they will continue to support him even after the elections of 2019.

    “We expect based on figures coming out of the registered voters to give him nothing less than 70 to 80%.

    “We don’t have the figures now because they have completed additional registration, we are not talking about the last exercise that led to the election of 2015 and in 2015 he got almost 1.5 million votes from Katsina state.

    “So we expect by 2019 we will be able to give him additional 1 million making it not less than 2.5 million votes.” he added.

    Read Also: Don’t return undertakers to power, says Buhari

    On FEC setting up electoral offence commission, he said “If I could remember during the Uwais committee,  we were heading some  sub comitttees of former legislators, former and serving governors and we made presentation and part of our recommendations is that apart from the independence of the electoral body, to establish this tribunal so that at least, this tribunal will help in sanitising the electoral process.

    “The legal system as that today is prolonged and takes time and cases are decided when you have even forgotten about your offence and I think , this will help to sanitise and make the elections more credible.” he said

    He said that there is nothing contentious on the direct and indirect primary controversy.

    Masari said “It is not a hot cake, first of all, let me say from all the states that we have read and heard, Lagos, Kano and Niger are the only states that have opted for direct primaries in  a country of 36 states plus FCT.

    “I think it shouldn’t be contentious issue. In fact the constitution of the party is very clear,  there is nothing contentious in this .The constitution of the party recognizes direct, consensus and indirect primaries.

    “So which ever method is adopted, nobody is breaching the constitution of the party. So what is the big deal about it?” he queried

  • Police rescue Kidnap victim in Katsina forest

    The Katsina State Police Command have announced the rescue of a Kidnapped victim, Mrs. Nana of Guga Bakori area, at Pauwa Forest, in Kankara Local government area of katsina state

    A press release which was signed by the state command spokesman, Superintendent Gambo Isah, said the rescue operation which was led by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, of Kankara Local government area, CSP Garba G. Umaru, was based on a tip off.

     The release further stated that the kidnapped victim’s ransom was about being paid at Pauwa Forest when the police’ timely intervention foiled the crime and arrested the kingpin, Yunusa Musa who sustained a gunshot injury while trying to escape and evade police arrest.

    The Police further stated that Yunusa will be charged to court for kidnapping and other related crimes

     Meanwhile the rescued victim was taken to General Hospital Kankara for a medical checkup and has been reunited with her family

    Read also: Ogun APC: I moved motion on guber candidate to save my life – Oladunjoye

    In a related development, the Police on Saturday night, at about 10pm foiled an armed robbery attack along Funtua- Sokoto highway, and rescued the victims

    An exclusive investigation by The Nation, revealed that the robbery incident occurred exactly at the portion of the road undergoing re-construction at the Funtua end

    A victim of the incident told The Nation that he was travelling to Sokoto and that their vehicle had just left Funtua town and headed for Sokoto when the robbers struck. He said, the robbers however, fled on sighting the police

  • Police burst armed robbery syndicates in Katsina

    The Katsina state police Command over the weekend announced the successful crack down on a notorious highway armed robbery syndicate based on a tip off.

    The Command succeeded in busting a notorious armed robbery syndicate that has been disturbing Kankia – Kusada – Kano road and robbing innocent commuters of their belongings.

    A press release which signed by the Public relations Officer to the state command Superintendent Isah Gambo said the robbers namely:  Rabe Aliyu of Macinjin village, Kankia LGA , Tukur Alhaji Mati and Maharazu Abubakar both of Saifawa village, Kusada LGA,all from Katsina state, were arrested when they blocked the Kusada – Kano highway, armed with dangerous weapons and robbed the occupants of a motor vehicle Volkswagen Gulf, of their money, handsets and other belongings.

    In the course of Investigation, victims have identified the suspected robbers to be the ones that robbed them.

    The release further stated that two handsets and a bag belonging to the victims were recovered from the suspects during police search and that other exhibits recovered from the suspects includes the followings, the sum of N86, 700,Four GSM Handsets and one black Jincheng motorcycle with reg. No. QB 264 KSD

    In another development, the police have announced the arrest of another notorious armed robbery and kidnapping syndicate who were terrorizing Kafur, Danja and Malumfashi LGA areas of Katsina state.

    Read Also: ‘My father was beaten to death inside police station’

    A statement said those arrested including Ibrahim Ali, aged 18yrs and Usman Yusuf alias ‘GWIWA’, aged 30yrs both of Gozaki village, Kafur LGA of Katsina state and others now at large, were armed with dangerous weapons and attacked the house of Alh. Musa Adamu  of Gozaki village, Kafur LGA of Katsina state, robbing him of an unspecified amount of money and other valuables, and also kidnapped his 14yrs old daughter to an unknown destination.

    The report further stated that the suspects confessed to having masterminded the kidnappings of two girls, one at Hunkuyi LGA of Katsina state in which they extorted the sum of five hundred thousand Naira (N500, 000) as a ransom from the family of the victim and another at Gozaki in Kafur LGA of Katsina state which the victim escaped from their custody.

    Another notorious armed robbery syndicate that specializes in hitting motorcyclists with iron hammer was also arrested based on a tip off.

    The duo of Yayaa Suleiman, aged 25yrs of Marabar Kankara village, Malumfashi LGA and Abdulaziz Abdulkadir aged 28yrs of Kukar Sheka village Kankara LGA of, who chattered an Okada commercial motorcyclist from Central Motor Park to Janbango Quarters, Katsina, were said to have brought out a heavy hammer and hit the Okada driver on his head while on motion