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Tag: Katsina State

  • ‘Police recover 198 arms from herdsmen, rustlers in Katsina’

    The Katsina State Police Command said it recovered no fewer than 198 illegal arms from herdsmen and cattle rustlers in the state.

    Mr Mohammed Wakili, the Commissioner of Police, disclosed this at a news conference on Wednesday in Katsina.

    He said that the recoveries were sequel to the directives given by the Inspector-General of Police ( IGP ) to the commissioners and their supervising Assistant Inspectors General of Police to that effect.

    He said that most of the arms were recovered from herdsmen, cattle rustlers and other criminals.

    Wakili explained that the arms included 20 AK47 rifles, 10 pistols, two G3 rifles, eight pump action rifles and two SMG.

    Others were 70 locally made pistols, one locally made rifle, 80 locally made Dane guns, five double barrelled guns, 840 ammunition and 50 magazines.

    He said that they would continue to recover illegally acquired arms from the public.

    “We are calling on those who have not returned their illegally acquired arms to do so before the expiration of the deadline.

    “We will continue to fight these criminal elements with a renewed vigour,” he said.

    NAN

  • Katsina PDP condoles Governor Masari over cousin’s death

     

    The Katsina state branch of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has condoled the state governor, Aminu Bello Masari over the death of his cousin who is also the Village head of Masari in Kafur Local Government area, Alhaji Isyaku Sulaiman

    The State Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Sani Garba, Alias ‘Yellow’, told the Nation in an exclusive interview that the party was shocked by the news about the demise of Alhaji Suleiman

    He said ’’It’s painful that the state has lost a man of such repute especially at this period when his wise counsel will be needed most. May Allah grant him eternal rest’’

    Recall that Alhaji Isyaku Sulaiman, aged 84, was the Madawaki and Village Head of Masari in Kafur Local Government area,

    He was survived by many children and grandchildren, among who is Alhaji Sani Isyaku Masari, a Permanent Secretary in the civil service of the state.

    He has since been buried in Masari town, witnessed by many notable Nigerians in accordance with Islamic rites.

  • Masari appoints new Special Adviser on Higher Education

    Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State has approved the appointment of Malam Bashir Usman Ruwangodiya as his  new Special Adviser on Higher Education.

    This is contained in a statement signed by the Secretary to the Government of the state, Alhaji Mustapha Inuwa and made available to News men on Thursday in Katsina.

    The statement said the appointment was based on Section 196 subsection 1 of the Constitution and in recognition of his track record of service.

    Read Also: Masari appoints new Special Adviser on Higher Education

    The governor congratulated the new appointee and prayed Allah to guide him in discharging his duties.

    The appointment took immediate effect.Until his appointment, Ruwangodiya was a lecturer at the Department of Mass Communications, Hassan Usman, Katsina Polytechnic, Katsina.

    NAN

  • Katsina empowers 255 youths

    Katsina empowers 255 youths

    About 255 youths drawn from the 34 local government area of Katsina state were on Tuesday issued resettlement packages and other empowerment benefits by the state government as part of the graduation ceremony of the trainees of Katsina State craft village

    The state governor, Aminu Bello Masari who performed the presentation of the packs, said the government may not have money or employment opportunities to give to the people other than to make policies that will empower them to create wealth and better their lives

    He said “certain government policies are made to uplift the living standard of the people. the purpose of governance is to protect lives and property and to ensure sustenance and means, which can only be realized through building the people, empowering men and women and investing in the future”|

    The governor further urged the recipients to make good use of the opportunity provided by creating opportunities for themselves and their families.

    Read Also: EU plants 634,132 trees in Katsina

    He also directed relevant agencies of government to monitor the performances of the trainees to prevent abuse or misuse of their starter packs

    Earlier in his welcome address, the special adviser to the governor of Technology, Dr Rabe Nasir, disclosed that the craft village admits 750candidate s selected from each local government areas every year and that the major focus of the programme is transforming the youths, who were hitherto without formal education, keep them off the streets and in the process address youth restiveness

    Dr Rabe also maintained that the centre trains candidates on 14trade crafts where the youths are expected to acquire the needed skills before securing government empowerment

    He said ”they have been sufficiently provided with everything they needed to set up, including rent allowances and to start their businesses|”

  • EU plants 634,132 trees in Katsina

    EU plants 634,132 trees in Katsina

    The European Union ( EU ) says it planted 634,132 variety of trees in Maiadua Local Government Area of Katsina State to prevent desertification and promote the concept of green house in the last five years.

    Dr Chris Udokang, EU Project Manager, announced this in an interview with our reporter in Maiadua on Tuesday.

    Udokang said 538,994 of the trees, representing 87.3 per cent survived.

    He noted that the project was executed under the EU Fuel Wood Balance Programme ( FUWOBA ) and implemented by the Oxfam and the International Centre for Energy, Environment and Development, in collaboration with the National Planning Commission.

    Udokang added that no fewer than 1,000 farmers were provided with agricultural implements which included fertilisers, insecticides and modernised cooking stove free of charge, to promote farming in the area.

    He urged the people to continue to maintain the trees as well as make judicious use of the farming implements for a better environment and a secured future free from desertification and lack of food.

    The EU FUWOBA projects commenced in October 2014 across some seven selected local government areas in Katsina State to promote agriculture and prevent desertification.

    NAN

  • EU plants 736 trees in Daura LG

    EU plants 736 trees in Daura LG

    The International Centre for Energy and Environmental Development ( ICEED )wea2q has planted 736 varieties of trees across the 11 wards in Daura Local Government Area of Katsina State to promote environmental conservation.

    Malam Buhari Fago, the Director of Agriculture in the council, announced this in an interview with our reporter in Daura on Tuesday.

    He said the programme, an European Union ( EU ) sponsored initiative, was facilitated and implemented by the Oxfam, ICEED and the National Planning Commission ( NPC ).

    According to him, the programme is aimed at controlling desertification and promoting green environment.

    Fago said 270 of the trees were planted through the nursery nurturing process, while 466 were through the farmer-managed natural regeneration system.

    He added that 221 villages were covered through the two adopted methods of planting, stressing that the agency would expand the scope of its coverage.

    He said the agency also distributed 1,000 bags of fertilisers, bottles of insecticides and clean cook stove.

    Fago said the beneficiaries went home with the three items.

    He added that the clean cook stove were provided under it’s four-year programme of improving the fuel wood balance (FUWOBA)

    The agency recently planted thousands of trees in Sandamu Local Government Area to promote environmental conservation and prevent desertification.

    NAN

  • Joint venture cash call not remitted by NNPC for five years, says Yari

    Joint venture cash call not remitted by NNPC for five years, says Yari

    Zamfara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Abdulaziz Yari, on Thursday reported the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC ) to President Muhammadu Buhari for failure of the corporation to remit to the Federation Account the Joint Venture Cash Call for five years.

    Yari, briefed State House correspondents after closed-door meeting with President Buhari, involving six other governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He stressed that the country was shortchanged by NNPC for five years when the oil price was about $110 per barrel and as high as the Cash Call Joint Venture.

    On the purpose of the visit, Yari who was flanked by Governors Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State and Simon Lalong of Plateau State said: “The meeting is on the decision of NEC (National Economic Council) that the 7-man Committee was established to engage the NNPC and discuss a way forward so that we can be able to resolve the issue that is outstanding most especially on the remittances to the Federation Account.

    “Yesterday (Wednesday) the 7-Man Committee sat with the NNPC group and today (yesterday) we have come to brief the President. One of the things is about how they are paying the Joint Venture batch four and we have seen that what is being remitted to the Federation Account to the entire people of Nigeria is lower and what is being paid for the Cash Call Joint Venture is higher than what is going to the Federation Account.

    “So, we are concerned about that and NEC is concerned about that.  So they told the committee under my leadership to engage with the NNPC to discuss a way forward.” he added 

    On what was the response of the President, he said, “The entire federation is being shortchanged by those activities. The NNPC since 2010, there were no payments of Joint Venture Cash Call when the oil was $110 per barrel up to when the President took over in 2015. 

    “So why the Federation Account is always low is because they are paying dual, paying the existing and at the same time paying the arrears. 

    “So we sat down with them to fine-tune how best we are going to get our partners to understand where we are more especially now the oil has started picking and the price is becoming moderately good and then we are slightly out of recession and we want to sustain that tempo.”

    Others that attended the meeting with the President included governors Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State (PDP), Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State (PDP), Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State (APC) and Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State (APC).

  • Gunmen abduct 14-year-old girl in Katsina

    Gunmen abduct 14-year-old girl in Katsina

    Unknown gunmen have abducted a 14-year-old girl in Kankia Local Government Area of Katsina State.

    Father of the victim, Alhaji Salisu Mai-Tiles, said that the gunmen invaded his residence at Sabuwar-Abuja quarters in Kankia at about 1:30 a.m on Thursday.

    He said that three well armed persons broke into his residence and demanded for money, while the remaining gang members stayed outside.

    “They asked me to give them money, which I did; whatever they asked we never objected to their demand to save our lives, but unfortunately, they went with my 14-year-old daughter,” he said.

    Read Also: Gunmen abduct ex-commissioner, soldier in Bayelsa

    It was gathered that the gang members also blocked Katsina-Kano road in Kankia and robbed motorists at gunpoint.

    In a related development, suspected armed robbers have shot dead a policeman attached to WAPA Shopping Mall in Katsina on Thursday night and carted away undisclosed amount of money.

    Efforts to get the reaction of the state police command was not successful as its spokesman, Isa Gambo did not respond to phone calls and SMS text message sent to him.

    NAN

  • NDLEA arrests 119 drug traffickers in Katsina

    NDLEA arrests 119 drug traffickers in Katsina

    The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA ) in Katsina State, said on Wednesday that it had arrested 119 suspects for drug related offences between Sept. 15 and Nov. 14.

    Hajiya Maryam Sani, the NDLEA Commander in the state, who made this disclosure while briefing newsmen in Katsina, said the suspects included 104 males, four females and 11 students of higher institutions in the state.

    Read: Court remands man caught with Indian hemp

    She said the command seized 53.5kg of cannabis sativa and 48.1gm of psychotropic substances that included diazepam, exol and tramadol.

    “We also seized 49.7 litres of cough syrups with codeine, which translate to 497 bottles,’’ she said.

    The commander disclosed that the total seizures stood at 101 kg of the illegal substances.

    She said that the command was counselling 90 suspects on drug addiction in its counselling and rehabilitation centre.

    ‘’The NDLEA will continue to do its best in the fight against drug abuse and peddling in Katsina State,’’ she said.

    Sani called on traditional and religious leaders to continue to assist the agency in the ongoing fight against drug abuse in the state.

    NAN

  • Masari presents N211.4bn appropriation for Katsina in 2018

    Masari presents N211.4bn appropriation for Katsina in 2018

    Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State on Monday presented the 2018 appropriation bill of N211.4 billion at the State House of Assembly.

    Masari, who presented the estimates in Katsina, said the budget was tagged “Budget of Actualization’’.

    He said that the appropriation bill had a capital expenditure of N160 billion, representing 75.7 per cent of the total budget, while recurrent expenditure was put at N51.4 billion, representing 24.3 per cent.

    Masari said that the projected Internally Generated Revenue ( IGR ) to finance the budget was N10.2 billion as well as N26.2 billion from other internal sources, while N131 billion was expected from the Federation Account.

    He said that the 2018 recurrent revenue increased by 30 per cent, compared to the figure in 2017, just as the recurrent expenditure in 2018 increased by 17.4 per cent over that of 2017, which was 13 per cent.

    The governor said that the personnel cost in the 2018 budget was N24.6 billion, overhead cost N12 billion, while consolidated revenue and other charges were N14.6 billion.

    He said under capital expenditure, the economic sector received N42.8 billion; social sector, N47.1 billion; regional development, N52.1 billion, while administration received N6.8 billion.

    Masari said that judiciary was allocated N691.2 million; the legislature N302.7 million; while contingency  had N2.6 billion and N7.3 billion was for debt servicing.

    Education sector received the lion share of N42.4 billion, representing 20 per cent of the budget.

    Responding, the Speaker, Alhaji Abubakar Yahaya, promised to ensure speedy passage of the budget for people of the state to continue to enjoy the dividends of democracy.

    Yahaya said that the house would scrutinise the budget with the aim of making necessary amendments.

    NAN